Bedpan



y 1939- F. D. SCHERMERHORN 80 EEDPAN Filed Feb. 1, 1939 Fig. 1.

Zinventor F.D.Schermerh0rn attorneu Patented July 18, 1939 I Francis Schermerhorn; Omaha, Nebr., assignor of one-half to Anna M. Schermerhorn,

Omaha, Nebr.

Application February 1, 1939, Serial No. 254,042

1 Claim.

This inventon relates to hospital and surgical supplies or the like and more particularly to bedpans and has for an object to provide a device of economical construction which may be placed in an operative position more rapidly and advantageously than heretofore.

A primary object of the invention is to pros vide a bed-pan which can be placed in a position of use with a minimum of discomfort to a bedridden patient and which does not necessitate raising the medial portions of the torso of the patient off of a bed in order to insert a bed-pan under said torso as heretofore practiced.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention are believed to be obvious from the following detailed description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the new bed-pan as applied in a position of use with respect to a patient and bed, the latter and said patient being represented by dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the new device. Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, the dotted line 10 represents the upper surface of a bed upon which a patient, generally indicated at H, is disposed, the latter being also represented by dotted lines.

.The back of the torso of said patient is disposed upon and in contact with said surface II] in a well-known manner and, as shown in Figure 1 while using the new bed-pan.

' As heretofore practiced it has been necessary for the primary portion of said torso to be raised off of the surface Ill in order to slide a conventional bed-pan into a position of use and at times when said patient has certain afflictions a disturbance of the torso militates against a recovery thereof and often great pain is caused said patient resultant from said raising and the present invention contemplates obviating the prior undesirable practices.

The new device includes a bottom 12 and is comparatively extremely shallow. Preferably the side wall l3 of the new device is annular and disposed between said bottom l2 and an annular flange M.

,The distance between said bottom and the flange l4 governs the depth of the pan of the present invention and said depth is approximately one-fifth of the diameter of the annular wall [3.

A partition wall 15 which is crescent shape in plan, as shown in Figure 3, is secured to the side wall l3 of the pan for providing a chamber [6 for purposes later described.

The chamber is sealed and water-tight as to the walls of all portions thereof except that the side thereof which is disposed toward the medial portion of thepan is open for providing the chamber with a mouth.

The upper surface of the crescent shaped partition I5 is inclined with respect to the bottom l2, as shown in Figure 2, said partition extending divergently with respect to said bottom, the acute ends of the crescent partition being preferably disposed closer toward the bottom l2 than that portion thereof which is disposed further away from said ends.

The partition I5 is preferably provided with a downwardly turned flange I! which is formed integral with the convexed edge thereof being substantially semi-circular in plan and secured to the side wall 13 by any suitable means such as solder or baked enamel.

In order to apply the pan in a position of use without disturbing the patient, that side thereof which is provided with the partition I5 is inserted between the patient and the upper surface I0 of the bed and at this time the pan is in an inclined position; whereupon the nurse or attendant presses the heel of the palm of her hand downwardly upon that portion of the flange M which is oppositely disposed with respect to the open side or mouth of the chamber It for causing the pan to be pressed inwardly of the soft surface 10 of the bed and into a substantially horizontal position of use, as shown in Figure 1, and held in said horizontal position during use.

As thus described it will be understood that urine discharged upon the upper surface of the partition I5 flows downwardly upon the bottom I2 of the pan; whereupon the pan is again inclined for and during a removal thereof without disturbing said patient, said urine flowing into the chamber l6 during said latter mentioned inclination of the pan and becomes trapped in said chamber whereby the pan and debris may be removed without soiling the bed linen.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim: 7

A bed-pan comprising a bottom, a flange, a side mately crescent shape in plan extending between oppositely disposed portions of said wall, the convexed edge of said partition being sealed to said wall for providing a chamber between said bottom and partition having an open mouth adjacent the concaved edge of said partition, that portion of said flange which is furthest away from said mouth being adapted to be pressed toward said surface of the bed for permitting said pan to be held in an approximately horizontal position of use, said partition being disposed inclinedly toward said mouth for causing urine discharged thereon to flow downwardly of the partition during use, said chamber being adapted to trap said urine therein at times when the bedpan is inclined during a removal thereof from under the body of said user.

FRANCIS D. SCHERMERHORN. 

